A burial ground containing the grave of one of the region’s most notorious characters from the days of the Covenanters is crumbling away.
The old cemetery at Dunscore is the last resting place the infamous Grierson of Lag, scourge of the Presbyterians who railed against efforts to make them change the way they worshipped.
But the graveyard has been neglected according to villagers and the council has been accused of failing to maintain the site.
Residents claim they’ve asked the authority to rebuild the walls and stabilise the parts that are still standing but nothing has been done.
Roy Spence said: “Dunscore old graveyard used to be on the Covenanters’ Trail as it has the grave of Grierson of Lag, a local man who was deeply feared by the community and whose attempts to deal with the Covenanters made him infamous for generations.
“There are many other local people of historical importance buried in the graveyard and it’s also the site of the original Dunscore Kirk dating back to the 12th century.
“It needs to be preserved and the council needs to rebuild the walls and bring it back up to a reasonable standard the same as other graveyards in the region.”
Another resident, Alan Todd, added: “It’s a shame the site has been allowed to fall into this state.
“The issue has been raised at community council meetings numerous times and brought to the attention of the local authority but nothing is being done to properly maintain it.
“Action needs to be taken now before it gets worse and the rest of the walls come tumbling down onto historic graves. As well as being very important to people who live in the area, it also attracts visitors from elsewhere. It would be a shame to see the site getting even worse.”
A council spokesperson said: “This is a closed cemetery to which works have been conducted in the past but we are not aware of any further damage.
